The group was originally composed of four brothers all born in Piqua, Ohio: John Jr (1911-1936) basso and guitarist, Herbert (1912-1989) tenor, Harry (1913-1982) baritone, and Donald (1915-1999) lead tenor. Their father owned a barber's shop, and founded a barbershop quartet called the Four Kings of Harmony. As the boys grew older, they began singing in the choir of the Cyrene African Methodist Episcopal Church and in the Park Avenue Baptist Church in Piqua. After their lessons at the Spring Street Grammar School, they would gather in front of their father's shop on Public Square or at the corner of Greene and Main to sing and play the kazoo to passersby.
They entered an amateur contest at Piqua's Mays Opera House, but while on stage Harry discovered he had lost his kazoo. He cupped his hands to his mouth and imitated a trumpet. The success of his imitation led to all the brothers taking on instruments to imitate and created their early signature sound. John Jr accompanied the four-part harmony first with a ukulele and then a guitar. They practised imitating orchestras they heard on the radio. John, as the bass, would imitate the tuba, Harry, a baritone, imitated the trumpet, Herbert became the second trumpet, and Donald the trombone. They entertained on the Midwest theatre circuit, at house parties, tent shows, music halls, and supper clubs throughout the area, and became well known for their close harmonies, mastery of scat singing, and their ability to imitate musical instruments with their voices.
In 1928, after playing May's Opera House in Piqua between Rin Tin Tin features, the brothers accompanied the Harold Greenameyer Band to Cincinnati for an audition with radio station WLW. The band was not hired, but the Mills brothers were. With the help of Seger Ellis, WLW Cincinnati D.J. and a music legend of the 1920s, they quickly became local radio stars and got their major break when Duke Ellington and his Orchestra played a date in Cincinnati. When the youngsters sang for Duke, he called Tommy Rockwell at Okeh Records, who signed them and took the group to New York.
In September 1930, Ralph Wonders urged broadcasting executive William S. Paley, at CBS Radio in New York, to turn on his office speaker and listen to an audition of four young men. For the audition they were "The Mills Brothers", but they had been known by many other names. They were billed as "The Steamboat Four" when they sang for Sohio, and had been called the "Four Boys and a Guitar" on their Sunday shows. When Paley heard their performance, he immediately went downstairs and put them on the air. The next day, the Mills Brothers signed a three-year contract and became the first black group to have a network show on radio.
Their first recording for Brunswick Records, a cover of the Original Dixieland Jass Band standard "Tiger Rag" became a nationwide best-seller and a number-one hit on the charts in a version with lyrics by Harry DaCosta. Other hits followed: "Goodbye Blues", their theme song, "Nobody's Sweetheart", "Ole Rockin' Chair", "Lazy River", "How'm I Doin'", and others. They remained on Brunswick until late 1934, when they signed with Decca, where they stayed well into the 1950s. On all of their Brunswick records, as well as the early Deccas, the label stated:
"No musical instruments or mechanical devices used on this recording other than one guitar."
They were a hit on CBS in 1930–1931, particularly when they co-starred on the widely popular The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour hosted by Rudy Vallee. They had their own popular radio series in 1932–1933, one of the earliest built around a black act, billed as the "Four Boys and a Guitar". Before their show announcers commonly explained to listeners that the only instrument was a guitar, as the vocal effects made many listeners think they were hearing a muted trumpet, saxophone, and string bass or tuba.
The Mills Brothers were sponsored by some of the largest advertisers in early radio; Standard Oil, Procter & Gamble, Crisco, and Crosley Radio. They began appearing in films. Their first, The Big Broadcast (1932) was an all-star radio revue that included Bing Crosby, Cab Calloway, and the Boswell Sisters. They also made three "bouncing ball" cartoon shorts for the Fleischer Brothers. In 1934, the brothers starred with Crosby for Woodbury Soap, and recorded their classics "Lazy Bones", "Sweet Sue", "Lulu's Back in Town", "Bye-Bye Blackbird", "Sleepy Head", and "Shoe Shine Boy". Their film appearances included Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934) and Broadway Gondolier (1935).
In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first U.S. black musicians to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre for a special audience: King George V, Queen Mary, and their mother. While performing in England, John Jr became ill. It took him months to recover from battling pneumonia. Before he was completely well, the brothers returned to England. John Jr once again became sick and died at the beginning of 1936.
The remaining brothers considered breaking up, but their mother told them John Jr would have wanted them to continue. They followed her suggestion and their father, John Sr, replaced John Jr as the baritone and tuba. At this time, Norman Brown joined the Brothers as their guitar player.
Through 1939 the group enjoyed remarkable success in Europe. In the period between John Jr's death and their return to the States, they re-recorded "Lazy River". It was followed by "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You", "Swing Is the Thing", "Long about Midnight", "Organ Grinder's Swing", and "The Song is Ended". They honoured Duke Ellington with a swing version of his "Caravan", and then produced a series of classic recordings: "South of the Border", which they performed in a tour of South America, along with "Ain't Misbehavin'", "It Don’t Mean a Thing", "Jeepers Creepers", "Three Little Fishies", and "Basin Street Blues".
During this era, there was also a brief time when the group performed with a non‑family singer. Gene Smith served as a stand-in for one year when Harry was drafted into the Army. Although Smith's solo singing did not particularly resemble the group's usual sound, he was able to harmonise well until the fourth brother's return. Smith is very noticeable in a number of the Mills Brothers' film appearances.
Returning to the States, the Brothers were anxious for a hit and recorded "I'll be Around" in 1943. Donald Mills chose "Paper Doll" as the B-side of the record. "I'll Be Around" became a popular hit, then a disk jockey turned the record over. "Paper Doll", recorded in fifteen minutes, sold six million copies and became the group's biggest hit.
The rise of rock and roll in the early 1950s did little to decrease the Mills Brothers' popularity. "Glow Worm" jumped to number one on the pop charts in 1952. The track also reached number ten in the U.K. singles chart in January 1953. "Opus One", an updated version of the Tommy Dorsey hit, was soon in the charts as well, followed by "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You", "The Jones Boy", "Yellow Bird", "Standing on the Corner", and "If I Had My Way".
In 1957, John Sr, who was then sixty-eight, stopped touring with the group. As a trio, the Mills Brothers were frequent guests on The Jack Benny Show, The Perry Como Show, The Tonight Show, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, The Dean Martin Show, and The Hollywood Palace. A move from Decca to Dot Records brought a moderate 1958 hit, a cover of the Silhouettes' "Get a Job" that made explicit the considerable influence on doo-wop that the early Mills Brothers records had exerted. The Mills Brothers also charted "Yellow Bird" two years before Arthur Lyman's top-ten hit remake.
"Cab Driver", recorded in 1968, was their last hit. It was written by songwriter C. Carson Parks, who also wrote "Somethin' Stupid", a hit the previous year for Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy.
The Mills Brothers' fiftieth anniversary in show business was celebrated in 1976 with a tribute at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, hosted by Bing Crosby. At the time, Harry was now almost blind as a result of diabetes.
As a trio, Herbert, Harry, and Donald continued performing on the oldies circuit until Harry's death in 1982. Herbert and Donald continued until Herbert's death in 1989. Then Donald began performing with the third generation of the family, his son, John III. In 1998 the Recording Academy recognised the Mills family's contributions to popular music when it presented Donald, as the sole surviving member, with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
After Donald's death of pneumonia on the 13th November 1999, John III began touring under the name "The Mills Brothers" with Elmer Hopper, who had previously sung lead with Paul Robi's Platters.
Altogether, the group recorded more than 2,000 recordings, selling more than fifty million copies and gaining them at least three dozen gold records. The Mills Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
Jungle Fever
The Mills Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ever see the jungle with the animals in fright?
Put me in the Congo and the jungle and I'm right
Got that fever, jungle fever
Oh, you know the reason that I long to go
Dusky maiden, dark-haired siren
Wild eyed woman, native dream girl
Jungle fever is in my blood for you
Ever hear a kettle drum a-poundin' out a beat?
Ever fight the silence and the madness and the heat?
That's the thrill I'm cravin' and the music is so sweet
Got that fever, jungle fever
Oh, the Congo's callin' and I long to go
Dusky maiden, dark-haired siren
Congo sweetheart, I'm comin' back to you
Wild eyed woman, native dream girl
Jungle fever is in my blood for you
Put me in the Congo and the jungle and I'm right
The Mills Brothers's song "Jungle Fever" is a passionate love letter to Africa, specifically the Congo and the jungle. The lyrics convey a longing and desire to return to this land, depicted as a wild and untamed place with gleaming lights and frightening animals. The singer is entranced by the beats of the kettle drum, the madness, and the heat that he longs to experience once again. The chorus, "Got that fever, jungle fever," is a representation of the intense and all-consuming love the singer has for Africa. He is drawn to the dusky maidens and dark-haired sirens, women who are both sensual and exotic, and expresses his need to return to his Congo sweetheart, the native dream girl his jungle fever is so strong for.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever see the Congo when it's gleamin' in the night?
Have you ever witnessed the beauty of Congo at night?
Ever see the jungle with the animals in fright?
Have you ever witnessed the animals in the jungle being scared?
Put me in the Congo and the jungle and I'm right
I'd be perfectly happy if you put me in Congo and let me live in the jungle.
Got that fever, jungle fever
I have a strong desire to go to the jungle.
Oh, you know the reason that I long to go
I have a specific reason for wanting to go to the jungle.
Dusky maiden, dark-haired siren
I am attracted to a beautiful dark-haired woman.
Congo sweetheart, I'm comin' back to you
I am returning to the place where my heart belongs, Congo.
Wild eyed woman, native dream girl
I am in love with a woman who is wild and native, my dream girl.
Jungle fever is in my blood for you
I have a deep and passionate love for you, caused by my desire for the jungle lifestyle.
Ever hear a kettle drum a-poundin' out a beat?
Have you ever heard the sound of a kettle drum beating strong and loud?
Ever fight the silence and the madness and the heat?
Have you ever struggled to cope with the silence, chaos and heat in a place?
That's the thrill I'm cravin' and the music is so sweet
I crave the excitement and experience of all the madness and the music of the jungle.
Oh, the Congo's callin' and I long to go
I feel a strong urge to go to the jungle and answer the call of Congo.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Howard Dietz, Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Diana Sills-Bailin
This group is one of the best in our history. I love this short of them as youngsters. They went from Jungle Fever to the Boston Pops God blasts their souls.
Diana Sills-Bailin
Meant to write God bless their souls.
UteBoy2010
These guys are always soothing to listen to
Pascal Dijkhuizen
oh man I love the mills brothers and watch them perform is wonderful tbh
STEPASAUR
the change into the chorus is bliss, thanks for posting, the Mills Brothers are my letest obsession thru this 'jungle fever' and 'till then'
Cynthia Pickett
Still the best lineup of the greatest vocal ever.
Cynthia Pickett
Harry often sounds better than real trumpet players--muted or not.
Cynthia Pickett
In these early film appearances, it's always fun to see poor Donald fight a losing battle to keep a straight face while brother Harry engages in mugging for the camera.
Cynthia Pickett
Considering the trashing this group had to endure in later years (the usual "sell out" accusations, especially in the 1960's), the outright love they got from black audiences in their 1930's/40's heyday was amazing as well as genuine.
Daryl Campbell
These guys were amazing.